Sunday,
November 3, 2013
Sweet,
tender experiences today. We were on the road by 7:45 am to get to
the Kossoh Town Branch for their very first meeting in their new
building! When we arrived, we were greeted by President Sesay and he
was just beaming! They waited for over 2 years for this facility to
be constructed, needing a bigger building, but by the looks of what I
saw, this new chapel is already too small; it was filled and Scott
and I gave up our seats and moved outside. I
felt such a sweet feeling of love and joy for this moment today for
these wonderful people – they were so happy for this building! On
a lighter side – I needed to use the restroom, went upstairs to
find the bathroom. Lifted the lid right off the toilet as it and the
seat were still taped together and unbolted to the toilet! I will not
miss my bathroom experiences in this country.
The chapel was filled with saints watching a tape of General Conference.
Elders Gabaidiwe and Barrick in front of the new Kossoh Town Branch.
Scott, me and Elder Flament outside the Kossoh Town Chapel
About
2 hours into the meeting, I suggested to Scott that we drive another
20 minutes out to Waterloo to deliver a much needed journal to Elder
Turner. He has been very faithful writing daily in his journal, but
when he finished with the last one and the mail had not arrived with
two more journals from his mom, he was frantic trying to find paper
to write on; his mom emailed me about the dilemma and I told her at
the very least we would get a tablet of paper to him. Scott came up
with an unused journal he brought from home, so we decided to take
that to him. We pulled up to the chapel and I got out of the car to
go find him. When I caught his eye inside the chapel, I motioned him
to come outside for just a moment and when he approached the car, I
handed him the journal. I have never seen someone so excited over a
journal. He so wanted to give me a hug, but he found Scott and they
had such a warm embrace. It was a tender moment. But the rest of the
story came when we got back in the car and Scott shared with me a
dream that Elder Turner's companion had the night before – he
dreamed that a missionary couple would be visiting the Waterloo
Branch today (he has never met us), and he shared that with Elder
Turner who had no indication that anyone would be visiting today
because we hadn't called him to tell him of such plans. So, the
fleeting thought I had in Kossoh Town hopeful we might make it to
Waterloo was the fulfillment of a dream and the answer to prayer of
another missionary who desperately needed a journal. And, to top it
all off Elder Turner was hoping for a journal from his mom with a
picture of the Savior on it and the word “Missionary Journal”
printed on it. We were able to answer that request as well.
We
visited 4 out of 6 branches today.
On
our way back home, we stopped at the mission office and 3 hours
later, I had entered the last of the CDE's that had been turned in
unexpectedly. We got home, and I had a much needed nap. I then had a
PPI with Scott (personal priesthood interview). It was much needed
and appreciated. We are so busy on this mission, we rarely take time
with each other to just talk and share; 2 hours of undivided, no
distracted time was much needed.
Tuesday,
November 5, 2013
Yesterday,
being P Day was laundry for most of the day. The washing machine can
only handle about 5 pairs of socks and a towel and it is filled to
capacity so it takes me a good portion of the day to wash the
clothes. Monday is the day of choice because we can then turn on the
noisy generator so Rachelle and I can use our dryer's simultaneously;
otherwise, when the quiet generator is running and we are both
drying, it trips, and shuts down all the power.
Today
I finished up the CDE's for the month and am now starting to take
inventory of what we will need in 3 weeks for 4 more apartments. So
while I am down in the cage looking around, President Swarray shows
up on the scene and starts up a conversation with Scott and me. He is
such a kind and gentle man. Markus is milling around as well as Ali,
loading up a truck to take furniture out to Wellington. It is
November and it is hot and I am sweating and wishing I was back
upstairs in the air conditioned office, but being around these
“brothers” is such a joy; they are genuinely so happy and laugh
so easily. We take Markus with us to look at an apartment in Hill
Station. It is quite nice and it is two apartments side-by-side and
we will likely rent them. Markus comes along because he knows the
area so well and can tell if it is safe or not; he also helps
negotiate the price. I can't help but wonder what he is thinking when
he sees all the apartments we rent for missionaries that are so much
nicer than his own home where there is his wife, 5 of his own
children and 2 additional children who he is raising; all packed into
a very small home. I am always a little uncomfortable when he is with
us just for that reason. He is invaluable to us though, in acquiring
apartments so he must come with us.
Thursday,
November 7, 2013
Very
busy and fulfilling day. It started this morning at 7:15 with
Rachelle and I walking up to the US Embassy and beyond – further
than I had previously walked. We meet so many little school children
in the morning and they are so bright and cheery; most always with a
hand outstretched wanting to touch our hands. Older folks commenting
on our exercise and wishing us a good morning. It is very uplifting
and refreshing to be out amongst them as they go about their daily
lives. On our way back down, this little male dog approached the back
of Rachelle and kind of rubbed up against her legs; she stopped and
then the dog came up to me with his tail wagging; I let him sniff my
hand and he licked it and then I just couldn't resist the urge to pet
him. He sat down close to my feet and I rubbed under his chin for
just a few moments. It probably was more beneficial to me than to
him. Hopefully the locals around me this morning had a moment of
viewing the relationship between “man and canine.”
We
had Zone Conference today in Kissy.
Scott and I found a watermelon
from our local fruit/vegetable lady so we cut it up and took it with
us today. The missionaries loved it. The conference lasted until 3:30
pm and by the time we left around 4:00 it took us over 3 hours to get
home! At one point because it was at a standstill, I got out of the
car to try and figure out what was going on. Found out some memorial
service was being held downtown to honor and commemorate the war
veterans. For the most part, I have grown accustomed to the vehicle
and pedestrian traffic here, but by far, today was the most
exasperating! Scott held it together quite well – not too much
Darth Vader.
When
we got home, at the front of our door were two packages from the
states. One was for us from dear friends in Sacramento, and it was
filled with dried fruit, nuts, hand sanitizer and Scott's favorite
lotion. We are very happy and grateful not only for all the goodies,
but for all the prayers in our behalf from loved ones at home.
Friday,
November 8, 2013
Attended
the Waterloo Zone Conference today, which consists of Kossoh Town,
Grafton and Waterloo districts. It is always such a treat to spend
time with the missionaries. At the conclusion, the Ostlers drove on
to Makeni to organize the branch, call a branch president, and attend
church for the first time in the new building. Scott and I, on the
other hand, took the assistant's with us back to Freetown but first
drove around the “back roads” of Waterloo randomly looking for
any apartment that might be available to rent. We must have an
apartment in this town by the next transfer coming up in two weeks.
It was pouring and we were just driving around looking with no real
agenda because we had no contacts to help us; Richard Carlos had one
that he knew of and we met up with him to look at it, but it is just
too big so we must kept looking. We came upon a home with a woman
sitting in her garage. We looked off to the right and saw what looked
like an apartment and we asked her if she knew if it was for rent.
She gave us a name and a phone number and we called it later in the
day and set up an appointment tomorrow to look at it.
Saturday,
November 9, 2013
What
a day! I woke up at my usual 6:30 am time and immediately started
thinking about the need for apartments with a 2-week window and just
felt overwhelmed. We needed to get to the mission office by 10:00 am
so in my determination to get as much done as I could in the morning,
I overlooked the most important task – that of my morning prayer.
For as many years as I have been praying in the mornings, if I don't
make it the first priority, it doesn't get the attention it needs
and is usually forgotten as I get into the day. So upon arrival at
the mission office, I took my leave of Scott and went into the
president's office, closed the door and prayed. I started, and the
tears started to flow as I felt so overwhelmed with the realization,
I am nothing without Him – and the location of apartments could be
very easy if He just stepped in and said, “This is the one, I have
provided it for you.” But it hasn't been the way it has worked as
we continue to plead and search and inquire.
So, in my pleadings a hymn came into my mind – Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah – and wept as I sang the first verse and made it more personal.
So, in my pleadings a hymn came into my mind – Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah – and wept as I sang the first verse and made it more personal.
"Guide
me, O though great Jehovah, Guide
me to the promised land (apartment). I
am weak, but thou art able; Hold
me with thy pow'rful hand. Holy
Spirit, Holy Spirit, Feed
me till the Savior comes, Feed
me till the Savior comes."
I
took great comfort and strength as we left to drive out to Waterloo
to see the apartment and upon arrival and inspection, made a verbal
commitment with the landlord to rent it and hope to finalize the deal
next week (a little miracle).
On
our way to Waterloo driving the main road, who crosses on foot in
front of us, but President Kamara of the Waterloo Branch. We pull
over to talk to him and inquire about the birth of his baby, when he
informs us he has been born and doing fine; I asked if they had a
name for him and he said of course - he would be naming him after
Scott because we were so much a part of the branch given we were out
there at the beginning of its creation. We were very touched by his
declaration and will definitely be attending the branch in December
when he gives his son a name and a blessing.
From Waterloo we drove to Calaba Town to look at another apartment; a man we have been dealing with who has an apartment in Bo, has connections in Calaba Town. We met up with him and his associate and Scott went off to check out the apartment while I sat in the car. I received a phone call from Elder Seraphine that they still had not gotten a water delivery as scheduled yesterday, and they were completely out! I was a little chagrined about that and did not know why Markus had not made the arrangements to deliver it so I got on the phone with him and found out there was mis-communication in the office on Friday and the thought was they could get through the week-end without a delivery. I had a package from the states and a couple of letters for Elder Seraphine so we decided to drop by their apartment in Wellington on the way home and check on the water situation.
We
pulled up in front of the apartment to wait for the missionaries. To
our amazement and astonishment, right in front of their apartment is
a well tapped with two faucets and local people filling their
containers for the evening. I am thinking, why haven't the
missionaries used this source when they are out? We see them
approaching us with a yellow jug with water in it, so they have
brought it from their baptismal service at the Thunder Hill Chapel. I
look at them and I point them to the water flow and they quickly get
all the buckets they have and get in line to fill them. In the
meantime, I go inside their apartment compound and to the side of the
apartment there is a spigot; Scott turns it on and out comes muddy
water that turns into “clear” water and we now have another
source for them on this miracle Saturday of the water. I was so
disappointed that our commitment to deliver water to them on Friday
had failed and felt so much better to see water sources all around
them. It was a tender mercy.
I
came upon a little green bird in their compound; it had flown into
the outside wall and injured one of its wings and couldn't fly.
Cutest little thing – I hope it survives to live another day until
it can fly. I know death is part of living, and I have had more
exposure to it here than at any other time in my life and it has been
difficult for me embrace it and accept it. I told Scott, I don't
think there has been a day here that I haven't shed a tear over
something or someone. He agreed.
We
arrived back home around 7:00 pm very tired but feeling so blessed. While
fixing dinner, I got a text from Rachelle regarding Makeni, and I
quote: “By the way, the Makeni church is in the perfect location.
The sign with the church's name was put up this morning and I think
the elders got names from about 20 walk-ins in addition to members
from other areas that didn't know there was a church in Makeni. Well
done.” What a wonderful message to end the day as we had quite a
bit of involvement in the securing of that location along with Prince
Kallie and are thrilled with excitement of a branch in Makeni.
Love and Gratitude, Robin
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